Virginia's Hospitals: Their Financial Strength Improves —
A new study by the Thomas Jefferson Institute shows that the overall finances of Virginia hospitals have substantially improved between the numbers published in 2016 and those in December 2017. More important is the bigger picture: Since 2012, hospital profits have risen from $1.58 billion to $2.15 billion, hospital net worth has risen from $14.75 billion to $19.3 billion, and the number of hospitals operating at a deficit has fallen from 42 to 28. As hospitals argue for Medicaid expansion and monopoly-type protections provided by Certificate of Public Need laws, these are figures worth keeping in mind. Read It Here!

The Impact of Cigarette Tax Increases on Local Government Budgets —
Cigarette tax increases rarely produce the revenue expected by local governments, according to a new study released by the Thomas Jefferson Institute. Fairly consistently, the tax increases produce a decrease in revenue, don't meet expectations, miss budget projections, or simply produce mixed results that often turn flat or negative in the following years. (1/3/2018) Read It Here!

December 2017

*** NEW ***

Healthcare Handbook Offers Ideas on Medicaid Reforms, Healthcare Competition —
A new "Healthcare Handbook" released by the Thomas Jefferson Institute offers a collection of 17 essays by practitioners and public policy specialists offering reforms for healthcare in Virginia. The essays especially focus on several issues, including Medicaid expansion, reform of Certificate o Public Need laws, and "Right to Shop" laws. Read It Here!